In today's marketplace, vehicle manufacturers are concerned about the appearance of the vehicles and thus vehicles are designed to cover up many of the working components of the vehicle, which otherwise reduces the aesthetics of the vehicle. Therefore, many vehicles today have rocker panels or sight shields which extend along the length of the vehicle underneath the door frames, which cover the components attached on the under carriage of the vehicle from the typical line of sight. These components create a more aesthetic vehicle which is preferred by consumers.
However, rocker panels and sight shields that are difficult or time consuming to securely attach to the vehicle in conjunction with assembly plant restrictions can make for an inefficient manufacturing process. The reason for this is that attachment of the rocker panel and sight shield typically requires the use of several small attachment devices. In addition, it is difficult to attach the rocker panel or sight shield to the vehicle so that it is rigidly retained to the vehicle, and yet the rocker panel or sight shield is allowed to expand and contract with thermal variations without being damaged. For example, rigid bolts which secure the rocker panel or sight shield tightly to the vehicle do not allow it to properly slip or move with respect to the vehicle when thermal expansion or contraction occurs.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop an assembly in which a component, such as a rocker panel or sight shield, is connected to the vehicle by a retainer which allows the component to move with respect to the vehicle due to thermal variations.